We came here in between my kids soccer games and let me tell you... this place is bomb. The people are so super nice. The food is excellent. We had the katsu chicken and Korean chicken and loco moco. All of it was so so good. I've been thinking about that chicken ever since and even though it's not close I would make the trip out to eat there again! read more

This food is delicious! Staff is very friendly, ambiance is great. I love the island music being played. Definitely will be back :) read more

See all

Looks good right?!? It was pretty mid i was craving loco moco and thought this would be better than L&L . Ive had the teri chicken plate before it was good. The patty of the loco tasted like a frozen burger patty. Craving not satisfied. read more

Island Style Cafe - Regular Loco Moco - Hawaiian Near Me - Santee, California

Almost didn't come to this gem because of a recent Yelp review. Glad I did. I like to hit up the family owned spots when I can and this was worth it. Prices were reasonable for what you got and the food was good. Customer service was good and food came out in a reasonable time. Small place but plenty of seating (booths & tables). My only suggestion would to have the background music lowered just a bit. read more

Island Style Cafe - Mixed plate teriyaki beef & chicken katsu w/ mac salad and rice. Side over of coconut shrimp. - Hawaiian Near Me - Santee, California

Eaten here a few times lately, most recently last night. My wife got the Kona Pork plate with rice and pasta and I got the BBQ chicken with same sides. Both dishes are delicious and plentiful (my wife even brought home leftovers). The service is always top notch and the ambience very Hawaiian. Definitely recommend! read more

Had high hopes for this place. The customer service was standard. No aloha. Just took the order and payment. Nothing more. Food came out relatively quickly. Korean chicken was a bit soggy. Sauce wasn't anything to rave about. The Mac salad had potatoes and a tuna flavor which threw me off. Not quite Zippy's but would do if you are missing Hawaiian food. I will go back again to try other dishes but will not be getting the Korean chicken or mac salad again. read more

Island Style Cafe - Korean Chicken - Hawaiian Near Me - Santee, California

In shoppingcenter tuck on the side definitely Flavorful! about 15 per plate special where you can pick 2 smaller entrees for a meal read more

See all

We tried this restaurant last weekend and I have to say we really enjoyed it! The atmosphere was nice and the service was good. The food was amazing. The coconut shrimp was amazing and we also had the teriyaki chicken really good. The portions are good. read more

The food was yummy and the portion size was good for the price. The reason for the one star is because the service was not great, and made the overall experience not good. We asked for some teriyaki sauce for the Spam Musubi and were told it was an extra charge of .50c, after we were done eating we asked for a to go box and were told they don't provide those (only foil) and that it was .50c if I wanted a box... We ended up ordering a shaved ice along with a box to put all the leftovers. The server was literally trying to kick us out as I was packing all of our leftover food because we couldn't have the shaved ice in there. She saw me trying to box everything up and still stood there asking we get out. read more

Island Style Cafe - Spam Musubi - Hawaiian Near Me - Santee, California

The food was not amazing, I'm sad to say. The Teri beef and spam musubi are staple foods in Hawaiian Japanese food. Both were disappointing. The beef was thin and dry like jerky and the musubi was meh. Service was okay. They kinda seemed over it. Ambiance was good as the music was great and they didn't hassle us to leave. read more

The best Hawaiian in San Diego! Love the Korean chicken here and their Mac salad is so unique. Prices are reasonable, and portions are large. You'll leave happy and full :) Located in a large plaza with plenty of parking. read more

My husband and I came here on a Sunday morning. The restaurant was just about full and people kept coming in by the minute. We ordered at the register and then luckily found a table to dine at. The restaurant has a nice island feel filled with Hawaiian music and decor. For food I ordered the Portuguese Sausage Loco Moco which was a fried egg on top of Portuguese sausage and white rice topped with gravy. The portion was huge and definitely hit the spot! Delicious gravy and the egg was cooked perfectly! I just wish this dish had a bit more gravy! My husband ordered the Kalbi Korean Mix and all I can say is wow! The chicken was so tender and had a nice light crisp! The flavor was a bit spicy and sweet! The dish also came with the option to choose white rice, pork fried rice or potatoes and either macaroni salad or green salad. We chose the Mac salad and pork fried rice and it was probably the best decision! I'll definitely come back again once I'm in the area! read more

Island Style Cafe - Kalibi Korean Mix - Hawaiian Near Me - Santee, California

See all

Always good food and friendliest service. Personally love the teriyaki beef plate lunch but so far haven't had a bad dish.

Good food great people. Fast service. It's close by so very convenient. Easy to order too

Got korean chicken. Galbi beef ribs, and Mac salad. Proteins were great with generous portions. Mac salad was ok. Would recommend

Food is so delicious! Today we got a few mix plates with Hamburger Steak, Korean Chicken, and Chicken Katsu. All fresh and yummy! 10/10

I love the pork fried rice...it is absolutely delicious. I like the mac salad but beware of the tuna (I don't think my daughter likes it). The chicken Katsu is amazing, and I don't normally like katsu. The bbq chicken and teriyaki beef are really good. The spam masubi is also tasty. read more

When I have ate here, it was casual and not super fancy as they typically serve on to-go plates. The food is good and the food came out in a decent time but a little slow. I have went here a few times and would recommend for Santee as a decent place for island food. read more

Island Style Cafe - Hawaiian Near Me - Santee, California

First time here. Lunch time! Wow this place is small but has great great food. I had the pulled pork with amazing potatoes and a lovely size salad. Cleanses of place, excellent. Customer service, excellent. Absolutely a place to check out everyone. You won't be disappointed. Happy meals with a Hawaiian style! read more

Island Style Cafe - Pulled pork, potatoes and salad. - Hawaiian Near Me - Santee, California

Wow the flavor is on point, like it's bursting with the flavors of the islands right here to Santee! The chicken was cooked perfectly not tough or dry, the fried pork rice was amazing, just flavorful and one of the best I've had outside of Hawaii. I am so picky about food in general and I've waited a while to come check this place out but I'm glad I did! It was worth the wait, staff is friendly, food is amazing! Highly recommend this establishment, you gotta a customer for life with me, I'll be back! Atmosphere is casual laid back, what you expect from a spot like this, a total gem! read more

Island Style Cafe - Island chicken - Hawaiian Near Me - Santee, California

Casual setting with great food! The staff very helpful in my decision on what to eat. Also, bought some takeout and staff was very honest for what option of dish to buy and saved me money on the order. Looking forward to return! read more

The food is really good here, unfortunately the restaurant experience sucks. It seems like they want to be a to-go only place but they have a full dining room. Everything is served on disposable plates with flimsy disposable utensils, which suck trying to cut up the kalbi. They nickel and dine you to death here, they literally charge $0.50 for a togo box. There is no table service at all, yet they ask you to tip when you order. Their pricing is high but the food is good and it would be worth it if they acted like a normal sit down restaurant. read more

Easily 5 stars would rate higher. This is a family type place that is not transactional like the competitors with corporate reach. I highly suggest the short rib and the Korean chicken spicy. Also the poke is one of the most under rated in SD. The people who work there give great service and it's low key as far as atmosphere. read more

Island Style Cafe - Fried Chicken - Hawaiian Near Me - Santee, California

See all

Absolutely amazing family dining experience! From the start the customer service was fantastic, which makes us so my easier when you have a 5 and 3 year old with you. The atmosphere was great! Enough space to enjoy our food without having to worry about getting in the way of others. So many great options to choose from. We ended up getting the Chicken Katsu with steamed rice and stir fry vegetables for the kids. My wife and I ended up getting the same with Kalbi Grilled Mix. One with steamed rice and the other with pork fired rice. The macaroni was on point as well Oh yeah! Some of the best French Fries that I have eaten in some time. I highly recommend making your Go To place for Hawaiian style cuisine. read more

So glad I found this place! Excellent beef teriyaki and barbecue chicken. Service is wonderful.

It's been a while since Island Style Cafe closed on Santo Road. We were happy to see them reopen in their new location. Deep in the heart of Santee their mall location had lots of free parking. Only downside I could see is it's gonna be real hot in the summer All kalbi featured 3 ribs. Tender beef was full of flavor. Loved the high quality beef which didn't have any chewy parts. There is a choice of sides and I picked double fried rice. Little pieces of bbq pork were tender with a mix of sweet and savory flavor. I'd be interested in this as an entree with more bbq pork. Food was delicious as always. There are many spots to get Hawaiian food in San Diego. Island Stye Cafe is my favorite as it has delicious tasting rice to go with your meal. Most places give you plain white rice which just fills you up. The rice here is full of flavor and something I look forward to each time I visit. Service was fast and friendly. read more

See all

Soooooo tastyyyyyyyy!!! I get the entre combo of the chickens and add a lilikoi iced tea.....and here is the breakdown! Chicken BBQ 5/5: The best chicken bbq I've had around! The chicken is charred perfectly and it's so juicy! The bbq sauce is just the right amount too. Korean chicken 5/5: DA BOMB! Get it spicy ;) you won't regret it! It's crunchy it's chewy it's juicy it's hot it's spicy...it's everything! Pork Fried Rice 4/5: On its own it's good...but no salt really. So I throw the soy sauce all over and their soy sauce is really good. Not too salty and it has almost of a sweet hint to it. Mac salad 4/5: There's little bits of tuna in it and it's what makes it special! I wish it was colder than it is served every time...but that's a personal preference ;) Lilikoi iced tea 5/5: It's a good tea...not too sweet and it tastes like tea not juice. The bitter little aftertaste tea gives you read more

Island Style Cafe - Korean Chicken Spicy and BBQ chicken combo with Pork Fried Rice and Mac salad - Hawaiian Near Me - Santee, California

See all

Came here with my brother and I agree this is definitely island style food. So if you're looking for a little bit of that laid-back atmosphere, but great Hawaiian style type food, this is the place clean, neat friendly, and the prices are reasonable. read more

Found this place on Yelp and I was not disappointed! I asked the person who helped me for recommendations, and they were super helpful with specifics items based on what I like. I got the Korean chicken and Korean BBQ short ribs, with pork fried rice and macaroni salad--so bomb! I will definitely be going back to try more items! Awesome service and great food; I highly recommend them! read more

Island Style Cafe - Korean chicken with hot sauce on the side, Korean BBQ short ribs, pork fried rice and macaroni salad - Hawaiian Near Me - Santee, California

I'm 37 weeks pregnant and was craving some delicious Hawaiian food. I found this location and ordered right away. The women in there were so sweet and helpful. The food was AMAZING!! Hit all my craving needs! Wasn't super heavy or made you feel icky after. My parents actually went a hour later to grab some as well! Keep up the amazingness! read more

The food is always great! Island bbq chicken and the coconut shrimp salad are favorites! The service is always friendly and we usually have leftovers for the next day! read more

Haven't had a bad meal yet! We love the poke and can't skip the mango tea! I love the salmon plate with furikaki seasoning with mac salad and the fried rice! read more

Great food excellent staff and food tastes just like Hawaii always consistent! Their plate lunch size is what a plate lunch should look like! Generous portion great value. I will be comming back to try other items on the menu! Thank you for a wonderful dining experience. read more

Island Style Cafe - Chicken Katsu Plate with Shrimp Skewer! - Hawaiian Near Me - Santee, California

Had a quick stop here at Island Style Cafe, food was delicious serving size is an absolute feast, will be back again with friends/family. read more

Island Style Cafe - California Musibi was delicious here at Island Style Cafe. (Santee/Location) - Hawaiian Near Me - Santee, California

The service is the absolute worse here, they had a prior location with the same rude unwelcoming service. When you walk in, they're quick to throw some menus at you and say come back up when ready to order. The food is pretty good, little cold. When asked for another paper plate the girl with the facial piercings said she wasn't allowed and when asked for foil she gave me an dumb look. I will be passing word to mouth to never come back to this place again. How much could a paper plate actually cost that you couldn't just give it to me. Insane read more

My wife and I decided to try this place out after going through Yelp yesterday after work. Everyone was friendly, and my God, food was amazing. Brought some plates for my boys, and we are all in agreement... this is the best islander food we ever had to date. read more

See all

Love this little business! It's tucked away in a tiny strip mall across from the high school and has a humble dining room. I always take the food to go for lunch for me and my hubby and we have never been disappointed. The quality is always top notch and super filling. I love their Korean chicken and my hubby loves the loco moco. He grew up in Hawaii and this is one of the places that reminds him of home. Such a little gem close to us in Santee. read more

Very good food and great customer service. In my opinion the rice is a bit dry and steak needs a little more sauce but very good otherwise.

Aloha, Island Style Cafe... today is sadly their last day of business so I am posting a review for a recent visit. The eatery was temporarily closed when I arrived as a note on the door said they were going to reopen at 4:30 pm. That was only the beginning of the choppiness which I think reflected how they were starting to wind down their operations. It took about 15 minutes to make it to the front of the line which had already formed in advance of the reopening time. I started my order with two pieces of Spam Musubi. I also wanted to get an All Kalbi island style plate, but the lady said they didn't have enough meat left. I thought that was strange because the peak dinner hours had not even occurred yet. I could buy a combo plate so that was what I did with the Kalbi Korean Mix (half kalbi and half Korean chicken). The sides I chose were potatoes and green salad with mango dressing. A piece of Hawaiian Chantilly Cake completed my order. Unfortunately, the kitchen forgot to include this item in my take-out bag which I didn't notice until after I had departed. I called the restaurant when I got home, and the worker who answered did acknowledge the mistake. She said they would reserve a piece in the refrigerator for me to pick up the next day. As for the food itself, that was the basis of my four star rating. I really liked the Korean chicken which was boneless, skinless fried thighs. It had good flavor, and the amount of breading was just right for my taste. The musubi and kalbi were on par with other local Hawaiian cuisine joints I have tried. The potatoes were a nice change-up from white rice which is the typical starch included in a combo plate. The four-layer chocolate fudge cake was moist with a decadent caramel butter frosting and macadamia nuts. read more

See all

We love Island Style! Definitely enough food for two meals. Usually order the Kalbi Grilled Mix combo plate which is amazing and gives you a little bit of everything. Mac salad is delicious! Good to get extra sides of Mac salad and order with "Double Mac sides" to get your fill. Highly recommended To -go orders available just call ahead of time to pick up. read more